Case Study

As well as looking fabulous, we appreciate the craftsmanship and technology from designers. The thrill and wonderment we get from understanding how our leather goods are masterfully created is a relentless fascination. At The Restory we want to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment from a piece so understanding aftercare is pivotal together with our skilled craftsmen.

The Evy clutch from the iconic Salvatore Ferragamo, features an intricate, multi chain embellishment, edged with supple, contrasting suede. Ferragamo’s skilled craftsmanship dates back to 1919 with all pieces’ still produced in and around Florence, Italy.

The clutch arrived to us from a client who had little hope it could be revived. After years of use the adhesive attaching the chains had become brittle causing them to fall away from the main body and some had even been misplaced. A careful assessment from The Restory’s Head of Atelier, Thais, confirmed what was needed to give the bag the elixir of life! Our challenge was set high; not only to repair the loose chains but also to find some perfectly matched replacements.

Before

After

ASSESS & SOURCE YOUR COMPONENTS

First off we mapped the areas where the chain detail was missing or loose. In this case the client had luckily retained some of the chains but it still left some sections without. Due to the age of the clutch, the metal had discoloured so our Head of Atelier spent some time sourcing a chain with a sympathetic colour match and size to the original. A gunmetal tone worked best.

CLEANING

An essential part of the restoration process is cleaning all aspects of the clutch; here we cleaned both the suede body and metal chains. By cleaning the suede we are able to renew the nap to a fine fleecy texture and the chains take on their original high shine with some attentive polishing.

Before

After

TESTING TIME

We are always looking for the best quality finish for a repair; the most superior finish should be the least noticeable. We tested different methods to reattach the chains such as adhesives versus hand stitching. In this instance we used a flexible adhesive that agreed with the fine metal chains and kept the structure of the bag soft.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Sourcing all the necessary components, cleaning and affirming the process means we are fully prepped for the detailed work so its time to place the many chains neatly back into position. The loose sections were attached first, and then the new chain was applied inline with the original design of the bag. Through patience and attention to detail the result shows a clean and considered repair that is concealed and pays respect to The Evy.